Draft key retainer locking means



Feb. 4, 1936. v. H. HARBERT DRAFT KEY RETAINER LOCKING MEANS Filed Dec. 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIII w w i 1936- v. H. HAR BERT DRAFT KEY RETAINER LOCKING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 1934 Patented Feb. 4, 1936 PATENT OFFICE DRAFT KEY RETAINER LOCKING MEANS Victor H. Harbert, Chicago, 111., assignor toIllinois Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 8, 1934, Serial No. 756,655

3 Claims.

My invention relates to means whereby the retainer elements or pins for the draft keys of the draft rigging or draft gears of railroad cars will be locked in place against accidental removal; and the invention has for its object the provision of such means of a character that it will in no way interfere with the free and proper movement of the draft keys.

The invention also has for its object the provision of locking means which at no time can strike or contact the center sills or draft sills and become broken or battered into unserviceable condition.

The invention also has for its object the provision of locking means adapted to take the place of the usual retaining means or cotter pins and which cannot become wedged during the movements encountered in the operation of the. car and whereby a considerable saving in the cost of replacements, heretofore encountered, will be provided and the dangers encountered in the shifting or displacement of the draft key retainers or pins eliminated.

The objects and the various advantages inherent in the invention will all be more readily comprehended from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a sectional plan view of portions of the center sills and draft rigging of a railroad car with my improved retainer locking means.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of one of the draft keys with my improved retainer look as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of my improved locking means employed in the'preceding figures.

Figure 5 is a top plan of one end of a draft key and the retainer provided with a modified form of locking means.

Figure 6 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one element of the locking means shown in Figures 5 to '7.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the other element of the locking means shown in Figures 5 to 7.

For purposes of exemplification, I have shown 50 application of my invention to the draft keys of a well known type of draft gear arranged between the usual center sill beams l5, l5 which usually are provided with cheek-plates or reenforcing members as at i6; and arranged between 55 the center sill members l5, l5 are the yoke members I1, I! of the draft rigging. The center sill members, cheek plates (when used) and the yoke members are all provided with suitable openings or slots for passage of the draft keys 18 therethrough; the openings or slots being of length greater than the width of the keys l8 so as to permit proper play and operation of the springs of the draft rigging.

As the draft rigging in itself constitutes no part of my present invention, a more specific description thereof need not be entered into and therefore the springs and correlated elements of the draft rigging are not shown.

The coupler and follower members of the draft rigging are movably held in place and in proper relation by means of the draft keys l8. It has been customary to prevent removal of the draft rigging keys by means of pins l9 provided at the upper ends with suitable heads 20 adapted to rest on top of the draft keys [8, while the tapered or tail ends are provided with cotter pin receiving holes as at 2 I; the pins I9 being disposed through suitable holes in the tail ends of the draft keys l8.

In practice, the pins l9 are caused to oscillate and to have 'slight up and down play due to the constant shifting and vibratory movement of the draft gear elements. As a result of this shifting of the elements, the cotter pins soon become battered down or sheared ofi, allowing the draft key holding pin 19 to be free to move upwardly and finally to become displaced from the key 18 and lost. Also it has been found that where the retainer pin is permitted to freely rotate its elongated head becomes so positioned that it contacts the draft sills and limits the travel of the draft key. Furthermore, draft keys are frequently of different lengths and therefore where the pin is free to rotate and to be improperly positioned, the head' of the pin or plug is made to take the slap encountered at curves in the track, causing the head to be sheared off, allowing the pin or plug to drop out of the draft key. Aside from the expense and diificulties resulting from the frequent loss of the pins, draft keys have been allowed to work loose and also become lost, which resulted in serious derangement of the draft rigging, frequently allowing the various elements to drop down onto the track, causing derailment, not only entailing considerable expense and loss of time but frequently resulting in injury and loss of life.

My invention provides means whereby the use of cotter pins may be dispensed with and the draft key holding pin will be locked in place against vertical travel or movement and the pin freedom on the part of the draft rigging during car operation.

The means devised'for holding the draft key retainer, employed in Figure 1, involves a retainer pin engaging single piece lock member which preferably consists of a steel pressing formed to straddle the tail end of the draft key l8 and having a lower end portion 22 adapted to extend substantially parallel with the lower face of the key I8 The free end of portion 22 terminates in the bifurcations or spaced apart prongs 23, 23, shown somewhat arcuat'e on their opposing edges and spaced apart sufficiently for passage of the lower end of the round shank of the retainer pin I9. The ends of the bifurcations or prongs 23, 23 curve or are disposed toward each other as shown at 24, thereby restricting the mouth of the retainer pin receiving opening so that the mouth or passage between the tips 24, 24 is narrower than the diameter of the retainer pin l9 and will prevent passage of the pin l9 therethrough.

This pin engaging lower portion 22 is integral with the vertically disposed portion 25 of length slightly greater than the thickness of the tail end of the draft key l8 and at its upper end is provided with a laterally disposed portion 26 adapted to extend above the draft key l8 and substantially parallel with the portion 22. This portion 26,

like portion 22, is provided with bifurcations or spaced apart prongs 21, 21 whose free ends curve or are slightly disposed toward each other at 28. The prongs 21, 21 are spaced apart sufiiciently to permit passage of the retainer pin l9 therebetween, while the tips 28, 28 are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the pin l9 and hence will prevent passage of the pin therebetween.

The body or portion of metal removed between the bifurcations or prongs 21, 21 is bent vertically or substantially at right angles to the prongs 21, 21 to provide an upstanding arm 29 of length greater than the usual vertical thickness of the head 20 of the pin 19; and this arm 29 at a distance removed from its upper free end is shown preferably slightly reduced in width to permit this reduced end to be more readily bent laterally after the pin 19 has been put into place. In practice the lock member is applied by slipping the jaws or portions 22 and 26 onto the end of the draft key l8 with the body portion 25 disposed vertically of the immediate end of the draft key l8, while the openings between the bifurcations 23, 23 and 21, 21 are brought to register with the pin receiving hole in thedraft key. The pin 19 is then passed through these registering openings with its head 20 resting on top of the bifurcations or prongs 21, 21, and the upstanding arm 29 disposed adjacent one longitudinal side of the pin-head 20. The portion of the arm 29 extending upwardly beyond the pin-' head is then bent downwardly, by means of hammer blows, and across the pin-head as shown at 36.

Asis apparent, the bending over of portion 30 will prevent upward movement of the pin l9; and displacement of the lock will be prevented by the tips 24, 24 and 28, 28 which engage about the opposite sides of the pin and make it impossible for my improved locking means to become dissociated.

On the-other hand my improved means will in no way interfere with the desired free moveaoaaeos ment of the draft key and retainer pin; the length of the portions 22 and 26 being such that the body portion 25 will be normally disposed .a considerable distance from the end'of the draft key as shown in Figure 3.

In order to remove the pinl9 when occasion arises, the upper end 30 is bent upwardly which will allow the pin l9 to be drawn upwardly and thus also allow my locking means to be removed.

In Figures to 9, inclusive, I illustrate a modification of my improved locking means wherein the main body element 3| may be in the nature of a casting formed to provide a bottom portion 32 whose free end terminates in the bifurcations or prongs 33, 33, whose tips also curve or are disposed toward each other as shown at 34; with the space or opening between the bifurcations 33, 33 sufllcient to receive the retainer pin, while the distance between the tips 34 is less than the diameter of the pin.

This lower arm 32 unites with the vertically disposed portion 35, which in turn terminates in the upper laterally disposed arm 36 which likewise has bifurcations or prongs 31, 31, whose ends 38, 38 are disposed toward each other like those of lower arm 32, thus providing a space between the bifurcations 31, 31, sumcient to receive the 'pin while preventing passage of the-pin between tips 38, 36.

The top of the upper arm 36, adjacent its juncture with vertical portion 35, is provided with an integral bridge portion 39 formed to provide a slot-way or channel 40 therebeneath extending in a direction lengthwise of the top arm 36; the slot-way or channel preferably gradually becoming narrower toward the rear end. As this type of locking means is preferably a casting, the bridge 39 is shown provided with upstanding reenforcing ribs 4 I, 4|. It will be understood that the channel 40 preferably extends entirely through to the opposite side of the bridge 39, as shown in Figure '7.

This tapered channel 40 receives a bendable piece or irregular steel member 42 which initially consists of a metallic or steel strip of predetermined length with one end 43 initially bent upwardly, while the other end is shown tapered to correspond with the taper of the channel 46. This strip 42 is then forced into the channel 48 so that the upturned end 43 will be disposed upwardly at the forward or retainer pin side of the bridge 39 as shown in Figure '7. The narrow portion of the strip disposed beyond the rear side of the bridge 39 is then bent upwardly as shown at 44. Tapering the channel 48 toward one end and likewise tapering the strip 42, the latter may be firmly driven into the channel and held against vibration.

The locking means is then slipped onto the end of the draft key so as to bring the openings between the bifurcations 33, 33 and 31, 31 into register with the pin receiving hole in the draft key i 8.

The pin I9 is then inserted into these registering openings and its head brought to rest on the upper. arm 36. The upper part of the upstanding end 43 of the bendable steel strip 42 is then bent laterally across the top of the pin head 28 as shown at 45 in Figure '1.

As the tips 34 and 38 are disposed distances apart less than the diameter of the pin, it is apparent that the lock member 3| will be held in place on the end of the draft key as long as the retainer pin I9 is in place, and with the end 45 of the strip 42 bent across the head of the pin it is apparent that the latter cannot move upwardly, with the result that the loss of retainer pins heretofore encountered will be prevented and hence the difliculties and dangers heretofore encountered eliminated.

The exempliflcations of my improved retainer locking mechanism are believed to be the simplest embodiments which are described in terms employed for purposes of description and not as terms of limitation, as structural variations are possible without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. Draft key retainer locking means comprising a main member having vertically spaced arms adapted to receive the end of a draft key therebetween, the arms at their outer ends being formed to effect holding relation with the re:- tainer so that removal of said member is prevented while the retainer is in place, the top of said member being formed with a slotway, and a bendable strip arranged in said slotway with its free end disposed upwardly and adapted to be bent laterally across the top of the key retainer.

2. Draft key retainer locking means provided with a pair of vertically spaced substantially parallel portions connected at one of the ends by a vertical portion and adapted to receive the end of the key therebetween, said vertically spaced portions at their free ends having openings adapted to register with the retainer receiving opening in the key, said openings being so formed that the distal portions of the free ends of the vertically spaced portions terminate short of the opposite side wall of the retainer receiving hole in the key, and an upstanding portion adjacent the perimeter of the opening in the upper one of said pair of portions adapted to be disposed adjacent the head of the retainer after the latter has been inserted through the registered openings of the key and the locking means the upper end of said upstanding portion being adapted to be bent laterally across the head of the retainer.

3. Draft key retainer locking means comprising a member substantially U-shape, the sides of the member being arranged horizontally one above the other and provided with openings extending to the perimeters of said sides so as to provide opposingly presented bifurcations adapted to terminate short of the opposite wall of the retainer receiving opening in a draft key, the side wall of the opening in the upper member being extended upwardly to be disposed against a side of the head of the retainer pin, while the portion extending above the retainer pin is bendable across the retainer pin.

VICTOR H. HARBERT. 

